Motor-vehicle.



No. 653,!72. Patented luly 3, |900.

- C. J. COLEMAN.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

(Application filed Oct. 2, 1899.) (No Model.)

w rlllflwwh HW s w k.

lil Z 5965@ oem m@ @IM Unirse STATES iDArnN'r @erica CLvnn J. COLEMAN,OF CHICAGO, rLLINOIs, AssieNoR rro THOMAS J.'

-RYAN, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

MOTOR-VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of` Letters Patent No. 653,172, dated July 3,1.900.

Application filed October 2, 1899. Serial No. 732,357. (No model.)

VTo all whom t may concern:

Be it known that CLYDE J. COLEMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinos, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Vehicles, (CaseNo. 6;) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact-description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specilication.

This invention relates to means capable of convenient actuation by theoperator by which the operation of the driving electric motors ofelectrically-propelled vehicles are controlled and regulated. u

The object in the main of the present improvement is to provide a simpleand eiective operative pedal connection between the current-controll ing and the cnrrentreversing mechanisms of the system, suchoperatingpedal being adapted to have movement in two different planesand so connected to said controlling and `reversing mechanisms that amovement in one plane will independently Operate the one mechanism and amovement in the other plane will independently operate the othermechanism, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

in the accompanying drawings,illustrative of the present invention,-figure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the seat portion of amotor-vehicle, illustrating the general arrangement i the presentinvention and diagram in l icaliy the arrangement of the motor, dac;Fig. 2, a detail ating the arrangement of iat-reversing mechanism or nits line or circuit connecparts of i pole-chan tions. 1

Similar numerals of reference indicate like parte in bot-h views.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the seat portion of amotor-vehicle of any usual type and construction, 2 the storage batteryor other source of electric power, and 3 the electric motor by which thevehicle is driven.

l is the stationary member of the currentcontroller, formed with aseries of insulated contact-sections, as usual, and 5 the movable memberof the ourrcntecontroller, which Vin the present construction is of thequadrantlever type,its lower end being adapted to serially contact withthe series of contacts on stationary quadrant-shaped member 4- of thecurrent-controller, while its upper end car ries the foot-pedal G, by.which movement is imparted to such movable member of thecurrentcontroller.

7 is a rheostat or variable resistance the coils of which are connectedin series with the insulated sections or contact-pieces of thestationary quadrant-member of the currentcontroller and adapted in theshifting movement of the controller member 5 to introduce a variableresistance into the motive circuit or to wholly break the same as usualin such class of electrical devices;

In cases where an arrangement of batteries is depended upon to alord avariable electromotive force and current to the motorsuch batteries willbe connected to the present current-controller in the usual well-knownmanner, so as to be capable of being used in series or in seriesmultiple at the will of the operator, and accordingly the termcurrent-controllerlin the present description is intended to cover ameans for controlling the electromotive force of the electrical circuitof the vehicle-motor regardless of the particular arrangement andconnections of such circuit and regardless of the fact that thecircuit-to the field or the circuit to the armature is the circuit whichis reversed in eiecting a reversal convenient actuation ofy eithermechanism in an independent manner by the foot of the operator.

In the practical carrying out of the present invention the movablemember or lever of the current controller heretofore described will .bepivoted in the annular ring 8, which is adapted to turn in a horizontalplane in the .annular supportingring 9, secured to the vehicle-body, asillustrated in Fig. l. A ballbearing connection between the above-de-IOO scribed rings is preferable, and accordingly such rings will be'formed with the usual ballraces to receive the series of intermediatebearing-balls 10, the assemblage of the parts, as well as their properrelative adjustment, being attained through the instrumentality of theannular cone-piece 11, screwing upon the extension-neck 12 of the ring8, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

The current .reversing switch or polechanger of the present inventionwill comprise opposed pairs of insulated contacts 13, 14, 15, and 16,arranged upon the under surface of the fixed bearing-ring 9, withconducting connections, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and a pair of movablecontact points or lingers 17 and 18, carried by the movable bearing-ring8 and having conductor connections with the source of electrical energy,the arrangement being such that with a partial rotation of thebearing-ring 8 through the instrumentality of the pedal and the foot ofthe operator the motor-'circuit can be changed to actuatc the motor ineither a forward or backward direction or to entirely break the circuitwhen so desired.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a system of electrical propulsion for motor-vehicles thecombination of a currentcontroller, a current-reversing switch, and apedal capable vof a combined rocking and -swiveling movement, andoperatively connected with such controlling and reversing mechanisms,substantially as set forth.

2. In a system of electrical propulsion for motor-vehicles thecombination of a currentcontroller, a current-reversin g switch, a pedalhaving movement in a vertical and in a horizontal plane, and operativeconnections between said pedal and the controlling and reversingmechanisms, substantially as set forth.

3. In a system of electrical propulsion for motor-vehicles, thecombination of a currentcontroller, acurrent-reversin g switch, a pedalhaving movement in a vertical and in a horizontal plane, a movable ringcarrying the movable members of the controlling and reversingmechanisms, and a iixed ring carrying the stationary member of thereversing mechanism, substantially as set forth. v

4. In a system of electrical propulsion for motor-vehicles thecombination of a currentcontroller, a current-reversing switch, a pedalhaving movement in a vertical and in a horizontal` plane, a movable ringcarrying the movable members of the controlling and reversingmechanisms, a iixed ring carrying the stationary members ofthe reversingmechanism, ball-races formed in the adj acent faces of said rings, aseries of interposed balls, and an adjustable cone-piece securing theparts in relative position, substantially as set forth.

5. ln a system of electrical propulsion for motor-vehicles thecombination of a currentcontroller having a lever-shaped movable member,a current-reversing switch, a pedal carried bythe movable lever memberof the controller, a m ovable ring having pivotal connection with themovable controller member and carrying the movable member of thecurrent-reverser, and a fixed ring carrying the stationary member of thecurrent-reverser, substantially as set forth.

6. In a system of electrical propulsion for motor-vehicles, thecombination of a currentcontroller, having a lever -shaped movablemember, a current-reversing switch, a pedal carried by the movable levermember of the controller, a movable ring having pivotal connection withthe movable controller member and carrying the movable member of thecurrent-reverser, a fixed ring carrying the stationary member of thecurrent-reverser, ballraces formed in the adjacent faces of said rings,a series of interposedballs, and an adj ustable cone-piece securing theparts in relative position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof witness my hand this 22d day ot' August, 1899.

CLYDE J. COLEMAN.

ln presence of- ,ROBERT BURNS, M. Il. HOLMES.

